AlternateExtended Ending
by OTP-Obsessions
Summary: What if Hadassah had something else to tell the king besides that she was a Jew. This is a slightly extended alternate ending.


She opened her eyes to see the king above her. He was cradling her to his chest at the top of the stairs, in front of the entire court. He had broken protocol for her.

"I must speak with you, before you leave" she said quietly. Everyone in the courtroom was looking upon the scene curiously. "It is of urgent matter, I will prepare a banquet."

He helped her to her feet and her hand flew to her stomach and rested below her breasts. She may have been trying to catch her breath but she looked as if she was in pain. He could not inquire about it in front of his court so he had a questioning look in his eyes.

She then proceeded to leave the room with Hegai who was standing in an entrance to the throne room looking relieved.

Esther stood on the steps as she waited for her guest. She saw him leave the castle and start down the path towards her. As she expected he brought Haman with him.

As he approached she half nodded, half bowed to her husband and the proceeded to lead him and Haman through the curtains.

They all took their seats and each took a few bites.

"What is your petition my queen?" the king asked

"Let us eat then I shall say" she asked quietly

Haman proceeded to glare at her as the king waited for her to say something.

"Is the meal to your satisfaction? My lord." she asked them, more towards her husband than at the evil man Haman.

He set his goblet down "the night draws late" he said "once more I ask for your petition, my queen" he looked at her and she returned his gaze. Then she glanced at Haman as if unsure of how to proceed in front of the newest prince.

After a moment she said "my petition, my lord" she said "is that you allow me to finish a story"

He glanced at Haman.

"One that I began many nights ago" she added a little more softly.

Haman lowered his goblet at this and glanced between the two.

She stood from the table and slowly walked away from the table, to stand across from the king.

"the story of Jacob my lord" she turned to gaze upon him "does not finish with marrying Rachel, for they go on to have twelve sons" she said letting her hands rest against her stomach clasped together.

"And like these twelve pillars that surround us, they became the pillars of a people" she said turning to face him, her voice grew stronger as she proceeded to talk.

"Surely" the king said looking slightly irritated but still patient enough to hear his wife out "surely you do not delay an army, only to finish a children's tale"

She glanced down for a moment. Then came to stand on the opposite side of the table from the king, ignoring Haman to the best she could. She slowly came to her knees in front of the king, her husband.

"If I still find favor in your sight," she said looking up at him "let my life be given me, at my petition" she pleaded "and of my people at my request"

"You demand at me your life?" the king demanded as if it was absurd "and that of your, _people_" he asked incredulously. "My dear girl, I know not of your, _people_" he said looking upon her. Now he was getting frustrated, time and time again he had asked her who she really was and where she really was from and she had always avoided answering, keeping secrets from him.

"You have yet to tell me who they are"

"Had we been merely solace slaves, I would've held my tongue" she insisted "this" she said quietly emotion seeping into her voice "this Haman" she said disgusted, "wanted our blood." She looked into his eyes "my blood" she insisted letting out a breath "the blood of Jacob" she said.

The king looked at Haman who was now looking curiously between the king and Esther. The king could see the slightest flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Your Jacob" she added as he turned to look back at her "your Jacob was given a new name, Israel" she said softly

The king calmed slightly as he looked into the pleading eyes of his wife, his wife that he loved.

She took a deep breath and continued, "As do was I"

"you?" the king asked "Esther?" he turned his gaze to the table and said a little more harshly than intended "a Jew?"

Haman continued to drink from his goblet as he watched the interaction.

"Not Esther, my lord" she said with a smile, he would finally know her name. She stood up before her husband, the king. Not once breaking eye contact with the man she loved. She held her head up and said with dignity "Hadassah Batabihan, daughter of the tribe of Benjamin" she said proudly with a smile on her face "child of the most high god"

The king continued to look upon his wife. Coming to understand why she was hesitant about telling the truth to him. With the slaughter of Jews for property she was hesitant and had given him a false name. Hadassah, was a beautiful Jewish name, he thought but his thoughts were interrupted

"Never have I heard a more pathetic story in my entire life" Haman said angrily and turned to the king "she is no Jew, she is another vasdi" he said referring to the king's previous wife. "Seems it not convenient to you" he said standing and walking towards Hadassah "an army marches, and suddenly she is a Jew" he said with disgust, getting rather close to the queens face. "Oh, Esther is a Jew" he mocked. Hadassah looked down at the floor, avoiding the eyes of the man who had killed her parents. He then turned to the king

"Your vasdi but protested the notion of war" he said "this queen seeks to counter the very authority of your rule" he insisted sitting down again to the right of the king. "A Jew?" he said with disgust "if so, why did she hide until now?"

He turned to Hadassah again, "pray, do tell us" he said mockingly.

Hadassah took a moment to gather herself, turning her sad gaze upon her husband "the almighty, has indeed ordained, that my words speak not truth under you, at least allow my heart" she asked

The king watched as she reached for her neck. There he saw their necklace, the one that had been misplaced. There it lay against her collarbone. She grabbed it and broke the chain from her neck.

"For this" she said stepping closer to the table. "Which I have offered you" she added referring to the night he asked her to marry him. "My most precious in all the world. The very identity, etched within me" she said holding the necklace above the candle.

Immediately the room began to glow, Jewish stars danced across the curtains as the flame lit the crystal. He watched both her and the stars. For a moment she looked around at the stars with a grin on her face and then she turned her expectant gaze upon the king.

"What is something supposed to be happening here?" Haman asked looking between them.

"The stars" Hadassah insisted "do you not see them?" she looked at the king, willing him to see them. "Do you not see them?" she asked again.

The king looked down at the table.

"A mockery" Haman said glaring at Hadassah.

The king stood he needed a moment, he placed his hand over his heart and then walked out through the curtains. He walked away from the banquet to collect his thoughts. His wife was a Jew, Hadassah. He continued to walk away from them. And Haman wanted to kill them all, slaughter them for their possessions. Then after a few moments, it hit him like a ton of bricks. Haman would try to hurt her now that he wasn't in the room. He signaled for the general and Hegai who followed him back to the banquet.

As he approached he hears the voice of Haman.

"You are a lady of mercy, spare me" Haman was mocking her in a threatening way. The king walked faster. "Spare me, I beg for forgiveness" Haman shouted at her. The king was close now and could see Haman choking his wife through the curtains. The king was now running.

"Spare me, spare me" he spat at her his back was to the curtains now.

The king burst through them just as Haman was growling "Jew" in his wife's face. He grabbed the new prince by his hair and yanked him away from his wife, who promptly collapsed the ground gasping for air. The king held Haman's throat tightly as Hegai and the general came through the curtains.

"Would he also assault the queen?" the king asked in a deathly low voice. "My wife?" the king yelled in Haman's face "while I am at my absence" asked in the same deathly low voice. He threw Haman at the general who caught the man.

"Barbona has informed me that the gallows post stands in Haman's yard even as we speak, apparently intended for one Mordicai the Jew." The general said holding the traitor by his hair and speaking to the king.

"Hang him on it" the king demanded.

The general threw Haman at Hegai who was looking at the collapsed queen. But when Haman was shoved at him he promptly dragged the evil man away to be hung.

The king turned to his wife. She had caught her breath. The general glanced at them to make sure the queen was alright and then went to follow Hegai and hang Haman.

The king gently helped Hadassah to her feet, holding her flush against his chest once she was standing.

"What made you come back?" she asked practically in tears

"I saw them" he said softly she smiled at that "I saw the stars" he added with a small smile on his face. He was amazed at how brave his wife was. She came before him un-summoned, knowing that her fate would be death and she confronted the man who was trying to kill her.

She smiled and then he pulled her in for a kiss. When they pulled away she continued to gaze into his eyes.

"Hadassah" he said softly with a smile. Tears appeared in her eyes

"Say it again" she whispered

"Hadassah" he said again as the tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. He used his thumb to wipe them away.

They stood there in each other's embrace for a few moments and then she said "I must admit that telling you I was a Jew was not my only reason for bringing you here tonight" she said softly against his chest.

He pulled back to look into her eyes "what is it?" has asked concerned.

She took his hand that was on her side brushing against her breast and held it against her lower abdomen.

"I am with child" she said softly with a smile on her face

A grin broke across his face as he glanced at his hand which was touching where their child was growing.

"Have you seen the doctor yet?" he asked urgently

"No" she said softly. "I was in fear of my own life, I knew that once you left and named Haman in charge he would start his genocide of the Jews. I knew that my uncle would be first to die and that I would soon follow."

"Your uncle?" the king asked

"Mordicai is my uncle" she said quietly "he raised me after a Haman killed my parents when I was a young girl." She said tears coming to her eyes "he didn't know that they had a child because I was hiding under my bed when he slaughtered them"

"Oh, Hadassah why didn't you tell me of any of this?" he said cupping her cheeks in his hands

"I feared for my life, on the night I was taken from my home Mordicai told me that it was too dangerous for me to be a Jew, especially in the palace. So he said that if I was taken I would say my name was Esther, Esther of Susa."

"Why not tell me once we were wed?" he asked

"On the day you returned from battle, Mordicai came to warn me that Haman had been made a prince and that he intended to slay the Jews at the first chance he got. I met him in the gardens near the lover's gate which is when I must have dropped the necklace" she said looking down at the designs on the fabric across her husband's chest.

"That was your uncle?" the king questioned "I thought you were being unfaithful when I saw it was you embracing a man at the secret lover's gate" the king said his shoulders sagging in relief

"no" Hadassah said with a grin, "it was merely my uncle coming to warn me that I could not reveal myself" she looked into his eyes "he sent word again once he had discovered that when you left you would name Haman in charge. He wanted to tell me that I had to be brave, I had to go to you even though you said I was not to come to you again, that night in the library. That I had to stop Haman before it was too late for the Jews, and that my title alone would not save me." She said tears in her eyes "I intended to approach you after court but I had run out of time so I ran through the rain and into court."

"Oh Hadassah" the king said softly, emotion seeping into his voice.

"Hegai tried to stop me, he told me that I was not going to the bedroom of a man I was going into the hall of a king and it would be me against protocol." She said wrapping her arms behind his neck "but I had to or I would surely die once you left for war."

"But you are here, alive" he said capturing her lips again in a searing kiss. At that moment he remembered that she had fallen twice and the baby may have been harmed.

"Hadassah you must see a doctor at once" he said pulling away

"What?" She questioned, confused

"You have fallen twice today, once you fainted" he said leading her through the curtains and onto the palace path

"Oh" she said remembering the pain she had felt "when I fell in court, I felt a pain" she said worry seeping into her voice.

"What?" he asked stopping abruptly. Concern was etched into his face. He hoped that their child would be okay. He had yet to produce an heir. He had lain with the previous queen but he had never tried to produce and heir before. Yet with Hadassah he couldn't be more happy that she was with child, half of him and half of her.

"I just remember a pain in my lower abdomen when I stood up I felt it, but I had to leave court because I broke protocol and I was putting you in a bad position" she said looking down.

"Come on, we'll get the doctor" the king said continuing up the steps into the castle. Once inside they ran into Hegai.

"Your majesties" he said, with a slight smile.

"Hegai get the doctor immediately" the king said urgently "bring him to my chambers"

Concern crossed Hegai's face and he looked at Hadassah who looked a little drained. "Right away" he said and left them quickly.

The king and Hadassah continued on to his chambers.

Once inside the king led her to the bed and had her lie down. He sat next to her and held her hand as they waited for the doctor. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments and then the king lie beside her. Hovering slightly over her, he gently caressed her face.

"I hope it is a boy" he said with a smile gazing down at her

"I do as well, but I do with to have a daughter as well" Hadassah said smiling at her husband.

"Maybe after this one, I do need a successor after all" the king said with a slight smirk leaning down to kiss Hadassah.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat and both the king and Hadassah turned their heads to see Hegai standing at the edge of the curtains with the doctor behind him.

"I have brought the doctor" he said gesturing towards the man behind him.

The king sat up, "you may enter" he said to the doctor

"What seems to be the problem?" the doctor asked. Hegai turned to leave the bed chamber.

"She is with child and has fallen twice today" the king said. Hegai's eyes widened and he glanced back at Hadassah as he left the room.

"Ah let's take a look" the doctor said as he set his bag on the bed. He took his hand and pressed against Hadassah's lower abdomen. The king sat there worried.

"Ah" Hadassah exclaimed as the doctor pushed against her right side of her abdomen.

"What is it?" the king asked impatiently

"I need to examine her abdomen, but her dress is in the way" the doctor turned to the king. "I do not know if you wish to stay but I need to check her over, especially if she fainted and fell while with child"

"I'll stay" the king said holding Hadassah's hand.

Once the doctor had her stomach exposed they could all see a bruise forming on her right side.

"My dear what did you fall on?" the doctor asked.

"I don't know, I fainted and then woke up in the kings arms" she said puzzled at the bruise.

"I think she hit the step" the king said trying to remember how she had fallen.

"I'm going to recommend she stay on bed rest for a few days, until that heals" the doctor said putting his stuff in his bag "I think that the child is fine"

"That's a relief" the king said dismissing the doctor

Once the doctor had left he turned back towards Hadassah, she lay there nearly asleep. He removed his outer robes and climbed into the bed with her. He then helped her out of her dress and into a more comfortable night dress. Once she lay back down he covered both of them over with the blankets and held her close to his chest.

"Hadassah my dear" he said softly "sleep, you are safe." She snuggled closer to him laying her head on his chest.

"I love you" he said.

"I love you too" she whispered as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

**A/N: this was just a oneshot, I have no idea if I will continue, don't hate this is an attempt at something and I wasn't going to put it up but then I saw that there were no stories for this movie! At all.**


End file.
